Forekeel progress - Amost finished (a few pics)

[Rich VanValkenburg]

We're almost ready to plank. There are still a few bolts to add, but it's just about there.

swmbo driving a bolt. We used carriage bolts and sawed and ground two sides off the head.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid21/pe3c134b623fa6eb5da7784ae2e754aff/fdb3854c.jpg

From inside, the Mast step timber, new floors, forekeel.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid21/p3f49e799754dfc2dcab4049ae1d11486/fdb3852d.jpg

Without, and with. Gives you an idea of what was replaced.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid21/p7511b40532215c3dda7a26e8c5c6df2b/fdb38555.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid21/pf49faaf4a2805c3a9608513012cf9feb/fdb38544.jpg

Here's the rest of the album. It feels good to have this almost finished.
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?show_all=0&id=4292155327&start=41

Rich

[Concordia..41]

Wow! And I do mean WOW!!! That's more than fine ship carpentry, it's more like sculpture!

- M

[John B]

sorry to steal your words concordia but WOW.

[FParth]

Rich, that's absolutely gorgeous. Wanna trade for my H-28?

But if the carriage bolts are galvanized (which it looks like they are from the pix), doesn't cutting them destroy the benefits of using galvanized bolts? The zinc galvanizing process is only a surface process and if you modify the bolt in any way, you've exposed bare steel. Are those not galvanized or am I screwed up (again)?

Fair winds and safe harbors.

[Rich VanValkenburg]

No, the bolts for the forekeel through the floors are silicon bronze. I screwed up and ordered them a little too long, so I'll have to plead my case with Jamestown and try to get them swapped for shorter ones. I had to add an inch of threads to one, and either my die is junk or that stuff is harder than I thought it would be.

Rich

[Hugh Paterson]

Rich, nice job coming together and looking good,
the bronze is bloody good at destroying sharp tools I replaced the 35ft propshaft on an Amsterdam waterbus a couple of years ago (bronze). It had taken 52 years to wear out on 1 of 5 bearing surface's. Bet the stainless steel one does not last that long.

Shug.

[brian.cunningham]

Cool photos!

[Billy Bones]

I'm stunned by the beauty of your boat every time I see her.

It's funny, but every now and then you run across someone who loves and appreciates something so much that their affection shows in how they take care of it. In your case it shows in the sort of 'hyper-professional' quality of your repair(to coin a wierd term). Yeah, a professional boatbuilder would dot all the eyes and cross all the tees, but you definitely love your boat and you know what the hell you are doing and both facts show (AND you are moving steadily along--it wasn't too long ago that you splashed her only to find her leak, IIRC.)

Good on ya.

[Shalfleet]

What class of boat is she? Very beautiful and looks like a dragon which to me is an ideal boat.....

[RGM]

Ooooooo aaahhhhh! I especially like the dramatic lighting in the last couple photos you posted Rich. Seriously, you've accomplished alot of very substantial work in what I would consider a relatively short period of time for a "weekend warrior". It can be tough to keep the momentum up sometimes. You and your spousal unit maintained a very dedicated effort. I'ld say that the effort has paid off. The rest is all down hill. Well sort of. But I think it would be fair to say that the worst is over. Nice job. You do a great job on the pictures also.
I couldn't tell from the photos, but did you install the stopwaters?

[ 05-29-2002, 11:48 AM: Message edited by: RGM ]

[Dave Fleming]

One word....SWEET!

[Rich VanValkenburg]

RGM, I have NO idea how the lighting turned out that way, but it does look different. We're using a cheap digital camera, but it takes really clear pictures. I haven't put the stopwaters in yet, but I have a jig ready for drilling them. We ran out of time this weekend.

Shalfleet, it's a 22 square meter built in '34.

Billy, much thanks for your words. Showed all of your kind words to Debbie(swmbo). It's easy to keep going when reading all of the support that people get here during their projects. It's no wonder so many of us are taking on big projects.

This was the one repair that really bummed us out, not only because it's so daunting for us, but it also set us back yet another season. While we've got her opened up we're replacing all six floors, and the horn didn't pass inspection either. The rudder area is shot, but that's a much easier repair than what we've just gone through. (cripes, listen to me, I almost sound fearless)

Rich

[Art Read]

Clicking "show all" on your photo album and looking back to that forekeel when it was still "in the log" is a really neat "touch". One of my few regrets about my own project is never having had a chance to see any of the trees my boat has been made out of... Just an amazing job! And amazing progress...

[Mike Vogdes]

Nice job Rich, and thanks for the periodic photo's, I have been following your progress from the begining. Can't wait to see the finished product.

[True Love]

Hey Rich - she's looking fanstastic. Hope you are proud of your work. What's the launch date? If your weather's been as cool as ours in iL, then you haven' been missing being out on the lake. Look forward to seeing pictures of her under sail again!

TL

[RGM]

Rich, sorry to hear about the horn timber, what do you and SWMBO (what's her name?) propose to do about it at this point?

[Rich VanValkenburg]

RGM, That's why I bought so much green oak. smile.gif Debbie looked down there and said 'I don't like the looks of this, you'll have to replace that too.' No problem.

You see, half the battle is keeping the other half interested in the project and not lose sight of the goal. She's been good about it, so if she has the patience to wait until the boat is right, then I have the patience to do the work. Sonja was completely covered in glass in the 60's, and that's when most of the damage started. I'm the guy paying for it now.

Rich

[Art Read]

"Sonja was completely covered in glass in the 60's, and that's when most of the damage started. I'm the guy paying for it now."

We should save this thread to put up the next time somebody wants to know whether "glassing" their tired, old woodie makes sense. Rich, you've got a damned lucky boat there, having had you guys stumble into her life.

(I can't remember for sure, but didn't you post some pictures of her underway, or at least afloat, before? Got a link? Sure like to see the rest of her...)

[ 05-31-2002, 01:10 PM: Message edited by: Art Read ]

[Ed Harrow]

Ahhh, Rich, like me Mum says, "One thing always leads to another." I hope you've got the Wind in the Willows Tee shirt...

As Thad says, "Keep everlastingly at it." or something close to that. (seems like a signature candidate)

[Concordia..41]

Regarding the pictures, I know the ones from "She's Wet Again" disappeared with Photopoint, and I've often regretted I didn't save them to my hard drive. Just messing around a while back I mastered making a slide show screen saver and incorporated shots of Lulu, Sea Harmony, Phoenix, et al.

So --- if you ever have the time to post them again, it sounds like we'd all love it!

- M

[Scott Rosen]

I haven't chimed in yet. Beautiful work. I can't add a thing other than to say: what everyone else says, times ten.

[Rich VanValkenburg]

M, I'm a humble guy and flattered. Here's an album link - http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=4291769591

Rich

[FParth]

Rich,
Those pictures in the album are gorgeous. I can see why you're in love with this boat.